The Detroit Red Wings announced that Anthony Mantha will be out Sunday with an upper-body injury. Judging by the nasty fall he suffered during rough stuff with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin, that isn’t very surprising.
The Blackhawks and Avalanche got a little nasty on Saturday, but apparently they weren’t alone.
Mantha injured, Athanasiou reacts
Most NHL games present frequent danger, but hockey players should be on even higher alert when the score isn’t very close. Such a thought comes to mind after witnessing some of the ugly late moments of Toronto’s 4-1 win vs. Detroit on Saturday.
Mantha needed help off of the ice after a dangerous takedown by Muzzin, as you can see from the video above. While Muzzin’s actions may draw league attention, Mantha didn’t exactly shy away from contact, either.
After seeing Mantha leave the ice injured, Andreas Athanasiou may have lost his cool. Witness as Athanasiou goes after Alexander Kerfoot, only for Kerfoot to seemingly avoid most of the damage. Following that attempt, Athanasiou got into it with Justin Holl:
To reiterate, both teams knew that the game was out of reach at that point. With little fear of taking penalties that would hurt your chance to win, players can go over the line. While the league took measures to discourage late-game fights, what about stretches of dirty play like these?
Relief for a relief goalie
Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman both enjoyed big nights, scoring three points apiece. You might peg Michael Hutchinson as the happiest Maple Leaf, however, as he finally won a game.
“It was a challenge [to keep positive over the first two months of the season],” Hutchinson said. “I think I was doing a good job about it. Getting sent down (to the American Hockey League), that’s always difficult, so regaining that good headspace is a process, and you can’t do it on your own. [Goaltending coach] Steve [Briere] and I have a good relationship, and there’s a lot of people in our organization you’re able to talk to open and honestly so you can feel good about yourself and ready to play at your best when you get that opportunity.”
UPDATE:
Jeff Blashill says Anthony Mantha is on IR, will miss at least through Saturday game. Says NHL chose not to take action on Muzzin hit.
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) December 22, 2019
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.